Tag Archives: Lamech

First Recorded Gangsta Rap

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech,
hearken unto my speech:
for I have slain a man to my wounding,
and a young man to my hurt.
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,
truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Genesis 4:23,24 [KJV]

Here we encounter an antediluvian thug bragging to his two hoochies about killing someone who dissed him. He affirms that not only is he emulating Cain, but he celebrates his own renegade criminal status and says “bring it on – I am a killer and I revel in being cursed more than that Old-Skool outlaw Cain. I want to go down in history for my badness”.
Matt Ford says:

This is amazing hubris, as it was God Almighty who swore to avenge Cain. Lamech is claiming to be so strong and so vengeful as to far out-do God in revenge. However, unlike God, there is no righteousness or mercy here. Lamech is murderous for the sake of his ego.
[http://thegospelforoc.com/2011/06/two-twists-on-masculinity/]

Surely these few lines of pre-flood proto-rap contain pearls of wisdom and warning…

But alas –  we have already been inundated.

Nodding Off in Enoch: Antediluvian Riffs

Iqbal Jogi

Many years ago (before the Flood, in fact)
I used to own this vinyl record featuring Iqbal Jogi and Party.
It’s a master mix of REAL snake-charmer music,
full of mystic minor memories…

There are echoes of psychedelia in this music (certain Beatles songs come to mind)
as well as a sort of wacky sound
like a Scottish Bagpiper who drank too much in a Punjabi restaurant
and then began playing…
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron.
[Genesis 4:19-22 ESV]